Education in the Age of AI

When I was in high school back in prehistoric times—actually the 1960s—there was a huge controversy raging about whether students should be allowed to use hand-held calculators to do their homework and during tests. For some reason, we were allowed to use a slide rule—a stone-age version of the digital calculator—but digital devices were sure to ruin mathematical thinking and understanding.

As I write this in 2023, we are faced again with such a controversy. Digital devices such as iPads, laptops and the internet—just hopped-up versions of those 1960s hand-held calculators—are now OK to use for homework and in the classroom. But artificial intelligence software such as ChatGPT will surely ruin not only mathematical understanding but also learning in general. And this would probably be true if the learning environments of our schools were focused solely on textbooks, lectures, memorization and standardized tests. But that is not what is happening in the majority of Hawai‘i’s private and parochial schools.

There are currently 115 licensed private pre-K-12 schools across the Islands and every one of them is different—in size, educational philosophy, learning program and culture—and each offers a unique approach to learning. Some of them still use textbooks and tests as one resource for student learning, but the majority of them also employ a wide range of individualized and personalized learning and assessment strategies to ensure every student achieves their potential for emotional growth and intellectual development. And I am sure the majority of teachers in these private school learning environments will find a way to bring ChatGPT into the service of this task.

This is the 21st year that the Hawai‘i Association of Independent Schools has teamed up with HONOLULU Magazine to provide Hawai‘i families with this informational guide to the private schools in our state. My thanks on behalf of all HAIS member schools to HONOLULU Magazine for making this valuable resource available at no cost to parents and students across the state.

This Private School Guide provides a listing of most of Hawai‘i’s accredited and/or licensed private schools. And the HAIS website—hais.us—also offers both a listing of HAIS member private schools, each with its own profile page, and a search function that lets you specify the types and locations of schools you are interested in.
Your children are unique, and the schools you choose for them should be committed to their individualized and personalized success as learners. Check out what Hawai‘i’s private schools can provide for your students.

Philip J. Bossert, PH.D.

Executive Director, HAIS